The 31-year-old, Emmy-nominated actor, singer/songwriter, and performer stole all of our hearts when his breakout role of Blaine Anderson appeared on Glee for the first time. He sang a breathtaking rendition of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,“ and episode after episode his charming smile and gentle persona made us all swoon. Nowadays, he is taking on the role of Gianni Versace’s killer, Andrew Cunanan – a stark contrast to the fun-loving and adorable Blaine. Seeing that he is a performer of his own music, it was obvious that the role on Glee was perfect for him. And while longtime fans of Criss always knew that he had the capability to branch out and do more serious roles (see: Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway), much of the world was shocked to see him portraying a villainous murderer.
The show is a dark look into the life of Cunanan, who Criss plays with empathy and humanity. “It’s my job to be empathetic. If I set out to paint him as a monster, then there’s no point in telling the story. This isn’t a Bond villain,“ he said to USA Today. In many recent interviews on the show he explains that as an actor, it’s important to look at the sides of the character that can be related to you.
In Criss’ case, there are many similarities between him and his character – Cunanan was a seemingly nice, charismatic guy who everyone loved when he was young. He chose to put his desire for fame and jealousy of others into unspeakable means. Criss is also charismatic and kind, loved by all – but he chose to channel his passions into making a positive change in the world. He wanted to make people smile and share his talent with those who would listen. And if he hit a roadblock, he would push forward and do his best to move onto the next step. In Cunanan’s case, he would not move forward. According to the show, he would hold onto the past and hurt those that stood in his way. In the FX Behind the Scenes video below, executive producer Brad Simpson explains that Cunanan maybe wasn’t “destined to be a murderer, but has an unstable personality and was put on that path.”
Departure from Glee: Darren Criss’ Creepy Performance as Andrew Cunanan in the Versace TV Drama
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